The Spread of Information – Evidence From Mexico-Us Migration in the Age of Mobile Internet

The introduction of mobile broadband internet has enabled users around the world to flexibly browse the internet from their smartphone and utilize new forms of social interaction. Both features could serve as a decisive asset for a group of people who rely heavily on cheap access to international information and networks: Migrants. Therefore, this paper studies the effect of mobile phone network coverage in Mexico on international migration flows to the US employing unique information on the roll-out of 3G cell towers and detailed household survey. By providing micro-level empirical evidence on the effect of mobile broadband internet on international migration, this paper contributes to the literature documenting migrants’ responsiveness to information obtained from different media outlets.

Speaker

Lisa Höckel is a post-doctoral researcher at the RWI in Essen and a Research Affiliate at the IZA. She works on migration, in relation to education and labor markets.